Heater



R. HEIN Nov. 5, 1940.

HEATER VFiled Jpne 9, 1937 0 Inf/ew: @ZZ

,i i l* Patented Nov. 5, 1940 PATENT OFFICE t HEATER Robert O. Hein,Chicago, Ill., assignerr to Sears, Roebuck and Co., Chicago, Ill., acorporation of New York Application .lune 9, 1937, Serial No. 147,290

5- Claims.

This invention relates to heating and other air conditioning, and isconcerned more particularly with an air flow control for hot water andother heaters for the passengers of conveyances, occupants of rooms andin other installations.

An object of my invention is to provide aheating device with manuallyreleasable louvers or blades adapted to be automatically vopened todischarge heated or other air.

A further object is to provide a heater with an opening whose size isvariable.

Another object is to provide a device of the character lreferred to withi doors or louvers adapted to be automatically held open to apredetermined extent.

It is also an object of the invention toprovide a gang of louversadapted to open simultaneously and to be individually or 'simultaneouslyadjusted and closed.V

It is another object to provide an air conditioning device for anautomobile and readily accessible to the driver and/or apassenger.

Another object resides in the provision Aof a gang of louvers of suchsize as to aiord adequate volume of air discharge for an enclosure suchas an automobile, and adapted to be closed simultaneously orsubstantially so by a single movement ofthe hand or foot of an occupant.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear as thedescriptionproceeds.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawingjn which: Y Y

Fig. 1 is a horizontal sectional view through a heater embodying myinvention, taken as indicated by the line Ihl in Fig. 2.

' Fig. 2 is an enlarged vfragmentary vertical sectional view, taken asindicated by the line II--II in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a fragmentary horizontal sectional view showing louvers invarious adjustments.

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary diagrammatic View showing a Bowden wire releaseinstallation for the louvers.

Fig. 5 is a reduced front elevation of the device.

Referring now more particularly to the drawing,` there is shown a hotwater heater such as may be found on vehicles such as automobiles,although it will be understood that a cooling or any other type of airconditioning or Ventilating apparatus may be employed since my inventionresides primarily in the louver construction and control mechanismtherefor.

The heating unit comprises in general a frame `I I, a motor I2, asuitable switch therefor (not shown), a fan I3, an air inlet I4 and aradiator I5, the connections to which are not shown, but may extend tothe engine cooling system. The escape of heated air influenced by theradiator is controlled by louvers I6 in accordance with my invention.

Each louver is hinged at its top and bottom in any suitable manner tothe frame and has ears I8 and I9 which receive the hinge pins 2D and 2l,respectively. A spring 22, anchored at one end to a stud 23, passesabout the adjacent hinge pin 20 and has its free end engaged with theinner side 24 of the louver, constantly urging the louver to swing open.

Slidably and non-rotatably mounted within the frame as at 23 and 21 is aplunger rod 28 carrying, in juxtaposition to the inner sides of theclosed louvers, as shown in Fig. l, a spring latch l29 adapted -tointerlock with a hook or catch 3i) mounted on the inner side of eachlouver. The hook 30 has a. cam surface 3I which, upon closing of thelouver, springs the free end of the latch and passes therebeyond sothatsaid free end snaps into the recess y32 in the hook and thus positivelypreventsopening of the louver.

Aspring 34 aboutv the plunger and engaged betweentheV frame and anabutment 35 on the plunger urges it outward so as to locate the latchesin positions to automatically connect with the catches as the louversare moved to closed positions. An abutment 36 on the plunger isengageable with the frame to prevent the spring 34 from moving theplunger too far.

' An end of the'plunger or rod 23 in accordance with one form of myinvention has a button 38 which projects out of the casing or frame IIat a point preferably where it is readily accessible to the hand of anoccupant of the vehicle or other installation place. `Pressure on thebutton overcoming the resistance of the spring 34 willmove the latchesout of all of the catch recesses 32 simultaneously, as shown in dottedlines in Fig. 3, whereupon the springsA 22 automatically swing thelouvers open. Upon release of the button 38, the spring 34 returns thelatches to their initial (full line) positions, where they are againready to automatically snap into engagement with the louver catches, oneor more at a time, when the louvers are swung to closed positions. 'Iheoverall length of the gang of louvers may be as desired. In a vehicleinstallation it may be desirable to employ a gang whose overall lengthis such that with practically a single sweep of a hand a person may shutall or any number of the louvers.

The latches may if desired be positioned so formed in any suitablemanner, as` by depressingI the casing. The projection of the nib in thepath of the lug is preferably slight, and the lug and/r nib isresiliently flexible to such an extent as' to enable the lug, upon theapplication of manual force on the louver, to ride up over the nib so asto be frictionally engaged therewith. The length and location of the lugand the location of the nib will determine the limit to which the springl22 swings the louver andthe angle through which the louver may bemanually adjustedand frictionally held. Like pressure on the louver willrelease it from the nib, and the resistance of the spring 22 also isreadily overcome when it is desired to shut the louver.

Each louver is prevented from rattling by the latches 29 when closed, bythe spring 22 when partly open or ajar, and by `the frictionally engagednib and lug when the louver is further open.

In the form shown in Fig. 1, the button is disposed at the casing, Whereit may be pushed more conveniently by a seated passenger,-one near thedriver, for example. Fig. 4 illustrates how the lonvers may bedual-controlled, i. e. independently by either the driver or apassenger, for example. To this end a Bowden Wire or other suitableremote control connection 43 is secured to the button 38a and terminatesin a knob 44 at the instrument panel 45 or other support in easy reachof the driver, for example. By pushing either the knob 44 or the button38a, the plunger 28 is moved as explained above. When the knob andbutton are released, the plunger is returned to its initial position bythe spring 34. If desired the louvers could be controlled solely fromthe knob 44.

I am aware the reversals of parts may be resorted to, and that manyother changes may be made and numerous details of construction variedthrough a wide range without departing from the principles of myinvention, and I therefore do not purpose limiting the patentgrantedhereon otherwise than as necessitated by the prior art.

I claim: l

l. In a Ventilating apparatus comprising a motor, a fan operatedthereby, a casing havingan outlet for air from said fan,and-means in thepath of air from said fan to said outletfor altering the temperature ofthe air; closure means for said outlet, cooperating latch means on saidcasing and said closure means and constructed and arranged 'toautomatically interlock upon shutting of said closure means for holdingsaid closure means shut, means for releasing said latch means, yieldablemeans for automatically moving said closure means to open position uponrelease of said latch means, said closure means being manuallyadjustable to diierent open positions, and means for yieldably holdingsaid closure means in different predetermined adjustments.

2. An apparatus of the character described comprising a' casing having aplurality of doors, a catch movable with each door, a latch for eachcatch and supported by said casing in position to interlock with thecooperative catch when the corresponding door is shut, means for movingsaid latches simultaneously to release all of the interlocked catches,said means comprising a member on which said latches are mounted andprojecting from said casing so as to be operated by hand, means foropening said doors upon release of said catches, and means for returningsaid latches to their initial positions where they will interlock withsaid catches when the doors are moved to closed positions.

3. An apparatus of the character described comprising a .casing having aplurality of doors, a catch movable with each door, a latch for eachcatch and supported by said casing in position to interlock with thecooperative catch when the corresponding door is shut, means for movingsaid latches simultaneously to release all of the interlocked catches,said means comprising av manually operable member jon which said latchesare mounted, means. for opening said doors upon release of said catches,and means for returning said latches to their initial positions wherethey will interlock with said catches when the doors are moved vtoyclosed positions.

'4. A Ventilating apparatus comprising a casing, a pair of doorstherefor, a member provided with means projecting in the path of openingmovement of a part movable with each door, said member being movable tocarryv said means as a unit out of said path to allow both doors to beopened simultaneously, and means for opening said doors upon movement of.thelrst means. n 5. An apparatus of the character described comprisinga casing having an opening, a door therefor, a spring engaged betweensaid casing. and said door, interengageable means on said casing anddoor, said means being disengaged throughout a predetermined degree ofmovement of said door in response tothe springaction and being effectiveupon said interengagement to overcome the spring action, said meansbeing frictionally slidable relativeto each other upon application ofmanualzforce to said door to adjustably hold said door at points beyondthe zone of action of said spring.

ROBERT o. HEIN.

